New Zealand-born Samoan Olympian says ‘knowing about sailing’ is key to better representation

[ad_1]

Samoan sailor Eroni Leilua competes at the World Laser Championships in Melbourne.
photo: © Jon West Photography

Samoan sailors preparing for the Olympics say they are lacking representation at the Games due to limited exposure and education on water safety.

Samoan Olympic sailor Eroni Leilua says increased support and education for water safety is vital to improving sailing’s representation in the Pacific.

Leilua will represent Samoa for the second time in the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) Class 7 and ILCA Class 6 sailing events at the Paris Olympics.

Although many people in Samoa live by the sea, awareness of water safety is limited.

Leilua was born in New Zealand but grew up in Samoa, where he fell in love with the sport when his mother took him to the local yacht club at the age of eight.

“When we lived there, we didn’t know we had a sailing club until our mum took us there. So awareness of sailing and knowledge of Samoa was one of the biggest barriers to the development of the sport.

“(Sailing) is a unique sport, it was my biggest passion as a kid… being able to drive my own vehicle at eight years old, you know, a boat is essentially a form of transportation,” Lelua shared.

“Without a parent watching you, you can get some independence on the boat, go fast and really learn about your surroundings.”

He said more education was needed to help Pacific people feel confident in water sports, as a lack of confidence and education about water safety was a big factor in the under-representation of sailing in the region.

“This way people can be exposed to sailing, learn about it and be able to participate,” Leilua said.

He hopes to start a program in Samoa to address these grey areas and help develop sailing in Samoa and around the Pacific.

“One of my biggest goals coming into the race and being there firsthand is to try to create some opportunities for future Pacific sailors and get some funding to them so they don’t have to go through the same struggles,” Lelua said.

He said the level of water safety or knowledge of water safety in Samoa was quite low, adding that “the lack of knowledge of ocean currents and weather systems just leads to people not taking water sports as seriously as in other countries”.

The Samoan Olympian’s advice to young people is to give sailing a try, keep an open mind, learn about the sport and understand that it is a very different sport to other sports.